Thomas l



(No Model.)

T. L. MG EEN, BUFFER FOR RAILWAY CARS.

NO. 490,977. Patented Jan. 31,1893.

71 12 WESSES.

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areas co. Pnoruumou WASHINGTON o c UNTTEE STATES PATENT UEETEE.

THOMAS L. MOKEEN, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 'IO ISAAC G. JOHNSON &

00., OF SAME PLACE.

BUFFER FOR RAILWAY-CARS. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 490,977, dated January31, 1893.

Application filed July 15, 1892. Serial No. 440,104. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. MCKEEN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buffers forRailway-Oars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of thecoupling and platform of a passenger coach equipped with my improvedbuffer; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same through thevertical plane denoted by the broken line marked raw-1t; Fig. 3 is aView of the buffer, removed from the platform; Fig. 4 is a plan of themovable or false platform secured to and working with the buffer; Fig. 5is a plan view of the protecting shield or guard-plate which overlapsthe false or movable platform; Fig. 6 is asection through the stem ofthe buifer-head; Fig. 7 is a similar view through the slotted platesecured to the 'draw bar; and Fig. 8 is a detail view of the push-rod.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to buffers or bumpers for railway cars, and hasfor its object to utilize the buffer as a support for a false or movableplatform which acts in the nature of a bridge (or part of a bridge)tospan the open space between the platforms of adjoining cars. In myapplication Serial No. 435,7 7 3, I have described and claimed asomewhat similar device as applied to the improved buffer forwhich-Letters-Patent of the United States No. 302,512, were granted tome under date of July 22, 188i, and my present invention consists in thenovel construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A designates one of the platformsof a passenger coach equipped with my improvement, and B denotes thecoupling, which may be of any approved style or pattern. The platform isrecessed above and in line with the drawhead O of the coupling tomakeroom for the stem, D, of the buffer-plate or head E suitable springs Iand J being provided for keeping the buffer-head projecting normallysome dis tance in front of and beyond the platform.

To the upper side of, and at right angles to, the bufiier-head Eisfasteneda plate, F, which projects inwardly and horizontally above andin alignment with the platform A, upon which its free or inner end restsand slides. This sliding plate F constitutes the false platform orbuffer-bridge, and is covered at its free end, overlapping the fixedplatform A, by the guard-plate G, the inner end of which, where it isbolted upon platform A, is made with a shoulder, H, so as to leave anopen space between it and the platform for the insertion and freemovement of the movable platform F, as will appear more clearly byreference to Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The rear end of the stem D passes through a guide-block K, secured tothe car platform and is provided with a head L, againstwhich the springI abuts. The other spring J, is confined between the block K, and aplate M, secured to the stem D. Pivoted to this plate is an inclinedpush-rod N, having a dovetailed foot 0, which slides in acorrespondingly shaped groove or slot in a plate P, bolted to thedraw-bar of the coupling. From this it will be seen, that when the carscome together, with the buffer-heads of opposite platforms abuttingagainst each other, a continuous bridge or platform is formed by theadjacent false or movable platforms F, spanning or bridging the openspace between adjacent cars. As the buffers yield, the false platformswill yield with them, sliding under their respective guard-plates G, sothat at all times a safe bridge-connection will be formed between theseveral cars making up a train.

It will be noted that when the drawbars are pushed in, the rod N willslide in the slot in plate P without moving the buffer-head, but whenthe drawbars are pulled out, the foot 0 will strike the rear wall ofsaid plate, and cause the bar to pull the buffer-heads outward with apositive movement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent of the United States:

' the springs,

' fer, and the push-rod connected therewith and sliding in a slot in theplate secured to the drawbar, substantially as and for the pur- 13 poseset forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS L. MCKEEN.

W'itnesses:

T. F. HAscALL, M. O. HASOALL.

